Laundry dampening apparatus.



No. 805,277. PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905. H. M. FORBES. LAUNDRY DAMPENING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MMM, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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W TNESSES No. 805,277. PATENTED NOV. 2l, 1905. H. M. FORBES. LAUNDRY DAMPENING APPARATUS.

.APPLICATION FILED MAR.2, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

ATTORNEYS A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY MILLARD FORBES, OF PORTAGE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTH TO JESSE M. RUSSELL, ONE-FOURTH TO RICHARD H. DALTON, AND ONE-FOURTH TO FRANK THOMPSON, OF PORTAGE, WISCONSIN.

LAUNDRY DAMPENING APPARATUS.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application -filed March 2, 1905. Serial No. 248,085.

To all whom t may con/067%:

Be it known that I, HENRY MILLARD FORBES,

a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Portratus, of which the following is a specifica.

tion.

My invention is an apparatus for use in applying steam or vapor to starched goods along the lines of fold` in order that they may be folded without difliculty or any danger of breaking or unduly straining the fabric or fibers thereof.

The invention is more particularly an improvement upon the portable hand-tool for which Letters Patent of the United States No. 786,889 were granted to me April 11, 1905.

The invention is embodied in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of the entire apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a portion of the apparatus, taken on a line at a right angle to the section illustrated in Fig.A 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the portion of the apparatus which chiefly embodies my present invention. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the steam-discharge nozzle. Fig. 5 is a top plan 'View of the movable head or table upon which the goods rest while being steamed.

A indicates a rigid hollow arm standing vertical and having a horizontal foot or base a, which in practice is securely bolted to some firm support, such as a bench or table. The two parts A a are preferably cast integral, as shown. The said arm has a right-angle bend, and a detachable upturned end or head a' supports and is detachably connected with a dome or chamber B, while a steam-nozzle C is similarly attached to the under side of said head.

As shown in Fig. 1, a pipe Dfor induction of steam and a similar pipe E for discharge of water of condensation are arranged side by side in the hollow arm A and screwed into bores or passages CZ e, formed in the head a', from which vertical extensions D' E project into the dome B. A steam-eduction pipe F is also arranged in the dome Aand connected with a bore or passage f in head a', and thereby with the bore of the nozzle C. The

upper end of pipe F is adjacent to the top of the dome, and admission of steam thereto may be cut off by a conical hand-valve B. So far as described the provision for introduction into and escape of steam from the dome A is substantially the same as in my former invention; butin this case the extension E' of the water-eduction pipe into the dome A, so that its mouth is but a little below that of the steam-pipe extension D', insures the retention of water of condensation to a corresponding height, as shown at in Fig. l, whereby the dome is kept heated to a higher degree and more uniformly than before.

I have shown in Fig. 1 stop-cocks arranged below the fixed support for the apparatus for the purpose of shutting off both steam and water when required.

As before indicated, I have provided, by means of the pipe extension E', for retaining a considerable quantity of water of condensation in the dome B, and 'I have further provided for discharge of a portion of this water through the nozzle C when conditions may require it. Such discharge is governed by a stop-cock G, (see Figs. 1 and 3,) the same being provided with a stufling-box and its conical end entering the steam-eduction passage f, while the head a of the hollow arm A is provided with a water-passage a2, that communicates with the hole leading into the said passage f. Thus by adjusting the valve G water may be admitted into the passage f at any time and in any desired quantity.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the lower end or head c of the nozzle C is extended in opposite directions and beveled or rounded on the under side to facilitate the induction of goods between it and the head or table H, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 2, where y indicates the goods.

The head o of the nozzle is provided centrally in its under side with an elongated cavity o', which extends parallel to the longer axis of the head, as indicated in Fig. 4. The bore in the shank of the nozzle C, through which steam passes, opens at one end of the said cavity c, and a waste-pipe I is connected with the opposite end thereof and extends upward, as shown in Fig. 3. The function of this pipev will be hereinafter stated.

The vertically-movable head or table H con- IOO 'nected by a screw-joint, as shown.

sists of a head proper, la, having a flat central portion and beveled around the edges, so that the goods held thereon may fall away from the central portion, the head being' provided with a narrow plate t', (see Figs. 2, 3, and 5,) that extends across the head proper and whose ends are bent or curved down to facilitate introduction of the goods between it and the beveled ends of the nozzle-head c. The head proper, t, and the aforesaid plate /1/ have coincident openings tz, that also coincide with the aforesaid cavity c' in the head of the nozzle C. The head proper, t, is attached to a pipe J, which is adapted to slide vertically in guides whose construction and arrangement are as follows: A tube K (sce Fig. l) is fixed in a socket a2, provided in the base or foundation plate a and is seated upon a disk 71:, having a central bore that receives the pipe J and allows it to slide freely therein. On the Lipper end of the tu be K is fixed a head L, having an opening similar to the disk 7c, through which thepipe J is similarly adapted to slide. By this means I provide a rigid support and vertical guide for the pipe J, with which the movable head or tube H is detachably con- Between the movable and fixed heads H and L is arranged a spiral spring M, lwhich serves to support the movable head H normally in contact with the head c of the nozzle C, as shown in Fig'. 3. In order to prevent rotation of the movable head on fixed head L, so that the opening or slot /L2 may be kept in due registration with the cavity c of the nozzle C, I provide the pipe J with a feather y', which is adapted to slide in a corresponding lateral extension of the hole in the fixed head L. The head proper, t, of the movable head or table is provided with a downward cylindrical extension 7b3, which incloses the spring and extends over a portion of the fixed head L, so that goods are prevented from contact with the spring and a more ornamental effect is obtained.

In operating the apparatus the stop-cocks of pipes D and E are opened. Then steam discharges into the dome B from the head of the extension D and striking against the sides of the dome will be deprived of its moisture to a certain extent, the drier steam entering the pipe F and discharging from the nozzlehead c upon the goods placed between the nozzle-head and the depressible head or table H. Steam thus applied to the goods along the line of intended fold of the same will duly soften the fabric, so that it may be folded Without danger of breaking its fibers and without impairing the gloss finish to an appreciable extent. It is apparent that since the spring' M presses the movable head H vupward against the nozzle C with considerable force the surplus steam-that is to say, steam which penetrates the goods-will Vfor the most part escape through the opening 7a2 in the head,

and thus enter the pipe J, by which itis conveyed into the fixed discharge-pipe y", forming a continuation thereof. (See Fig. l.) The steam thus discharged upon the goods will affect the same only along the line of the cavity o and the corresponding slot z, in the opposed parts, andthe goods may thus be made pliable to any required degree, since the amount of steam discharged may be regulated by the operator according to his experience and judgment. If the goods are unusually thick or the starch renders them unusually sti, so that the addition of a small quantity of water may be desirable, it may be admitted by manipulating the valve Gr, Figs. 1 and 3. When no goods are inserted between the nozzle C and the table H, steam fiows directly downward and escapes through the pipe j; but when goods are inserted between the parts C H the course of the steam is diverted laterally, so that it passes into the lateral waste-pipe I. It will be understood that this pipeI maybe arranged to discharge at any suitable point. In this instance for convenience only it is shown attached to and supported by the hollow arm. It will be understood that the spring-support for the movable head H provides for the easy introduction of goods of varying thickness between the said head and the head of the nozzle and for sliding the goods between them while held in the elastic clamp. It will be understood that after use of the apparatus in the manner described the goods may be passed between pressing' and polishing rolls for laying the fold in the required manner.

The apparatus is adapted for use in laundries, and particularly by shirt-collar finishers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The improved apparatus for the purpose specified, comprising a foundation plate or base, adapted to rest upon a horizontal support, a hollow arm rigidly connected with said base, a steam dome or chamber supported upon the arm and having a pendent nozzle for escape of steam, a steam-pipe whose upper portion is extended into the dome and a pipe for discharge of water of condensation having also a vertical extension in said dome, the mouth thereof being below the point of discharge of steam from the steam-pipe, whereby a considerable quantity of water of condensation is retained in the dome, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, the combination with a steam dome or charnber having a pendent nozzle, of a steam-induction pipe extended vertically in the dome, and a pipe for discharge of water of condensation which is extended above the bottom of the dome but to a lower height than the steampipe, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In an apparatus for the purpose specified,

IOO

ISO

the combination with a steam-dome having a pendent nozzle and a pipe communicating A therewith and extending into the upper portion of the dome, a passage leading downward from said dome and communicating with the passage leading to the nozzle, a valve applied at the junction of the two passages for controlling discharge of water into the nozzle, and pipes for conducting steam into said dome and water of condensation therefrom, su bstan- Vtially as described.`

nozzle, of' a head or table arranged directly under the nozzle and serving to support the goods, said head having a pendent cylinder, a Iixed head and a spring interposed between the two heads which are provided with alined steam-passages, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, the combination with a iixed steam-discharge nozzle, of a vertically-movable spring-supported head, a tube fixed thereto in vertical alinement with the nozzle, a ixed head and a rigid support therefor, the said tube being guided in the fixed head, substantially as described.

7.- In an apparatus for the purpose speciiied, the combination with a fixed steanndischarge nozzle, of a vertically-movable head or table for supporting the goods, the same being arranged below the nozzle and provided with an opening coincident with that in the nozzle, a slidable tube having a fixed connection with the movable head, and guides for such tube comprising an apertured disk and a fixed basepiece in which the same is fitted, a fixed head supported adjacent to the movable head and having a central opening in which the tube of the head is'adapted to slide, and a spring for supporting the movable head normally in contact with the nozzle, substantially as described.

8'. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, the combination with a fixed steam-discharge nozzle, and a fixed head arranged below and in alinement with the nozzle, a movable head arranged between the nozzle and the fixed head, and a spring interposed between the two heads, whereby the movable head is supported normally in contact with the nozzle but adapted to yield to the goods inserted between them, substantially as described.

9. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, the combination with a fixed nozzle, of' the vertically-movable spring-supported head or table for supporting goods, the same being beveled around the central portion and having a transverse part provided with a central opening and downwardly-curved end portions, substantially as described.

IO. In an apparatus for the purpose specilied, the combination with a goods-supporting head or table, of a nozzle having a cavity in the under side of its head, and the steam-passage that communicates with one end of said cavity, and a pipe 1 leading from the other end of the cavity, substantially as described.

HENRY MILLARD FORBES.

Vitnesses:

A. F. KnLLoeG, RICHARD H. DALToN. 

